Manager's Guide to Crisis Management

Chapter 10Crisis Management and the Law

Here’s a hypothetical conversation between three members of an organization’s crisis response team as they struggle to manage a crisis. In the room are the organization’s staff attorney or outside legal counsel, its crisis manager, and the CEO. This scene happens all too often in the real world.

CEO: “So, what should we do?”

Attorney: “We shouldn’t do anything publicly. We shouldn’t issue any public statement. We’ll probably be hit with hundreds of lawsuits. Whatever we say could come back to haunt us in future litigation.”

Crisis Manager: “If we don’t say anything we’ll look guilty. We have to speak to our stakeholders—customers, employees, and the public. We’ll use tactics and messages that’ll show compassion ...